Kenny’s Scot to make the most of this
YOU have to feel sorry for Stephen Kenny. The international calendar hasn’t done him many favours.
Back in June there was a feelgood factor after Ireland did a job on Scotland and then drew with Ukraine, but that feelgood factor has not exactly carried on ahead of the return game this evening.
Scotland’s midweek win against Ukraine — hollow after they lost a World Cup play-off to the same team at Hampden Park — was impressive, particularly their second-half display.
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One of the positives for Kenny over the summer was the transfer of Nathan Collins to Wolves, but the young defender has looked rather exposed against the very best the Premier League has to offer, and his red card against Manchester City was an extraordinary brain fade.
Still, Kenny has quite a few options at the back, although he’s without perhaps the most talented defender, with Andrew Omobamidele injured.
Up front that win against the Scots in the middle of a packed June programme also promised much, but Michael Obafemi and Troy Parrott have not dominated at Championship level.
Even the reliable Callum Robinson has had a very quiet start to the season.
The Scots, though, are not world beaters and while some of their names look impressive on paper, they are there for the taking.
Ukraine cut through them a few times in the first half and Kenny will have noticed that and will surely have plans to do the same.
Ireland are as big as 3-1 to win this one and although backing Kenny’s Boys in Green may not have paid huge dividends throughout his reign, I’m going to go with it.
I think the Kenny era has had enough positive about it to be confident that the Euro qualifiers could yield something.
Steve Clarke’s side, as the old saying goes, are no great shakes, and you would imagine the game should be a lot tighter than the one at the Aviva, so why not an away win?
‘Clarke’s side are no great shakes’